First day of work - 21 March 2007, Wednesday

Went back to work two days ago.

Was very nervous as I had to ensure that I had enough expressed breast milk for Averlyn. So was trying very hard to express my milk on Tuesday and managed to expressed a total of 7.5 oz. Based on the calculation on a website, Averlyn would need about 2.5 oz to 3 oz each feed. So considering that I would be away for four hours, Averlyn should have enough. If she really doesn't, there was the frozen stash. Still, I was nervous. In the end, I was scolded by my mum and Superpig.

The conversation that transpired between the three of us:
"You still have the frozen milk! Why you worry so much?" said Superpig.
"It is better to have the one that was expressed 24 hour before than the frozen ones." I tried to explain.
Mum sat there, shaking her head.
"Then got so many frozen bags for what?" a rather impatient Superpig said.
Not wanting to lose in the battle, I retorted,"To make breast milk ice-cream for you to eat!"
"She wants to make ice-creams for you, so let her continue to freeze lah!" my cannot take it anymore Mum said.
Superpig gave up the battle...
So I won.

Anyway, I realised that those full time working mothers are really superwomen. The number of milk bottles I had to wash and also to sterilise before I set off to work was no fun. Although, I only had to prepare 4 bottles and a pair of pump, I still find that that was a lot of work. Then, I had to squeeze my pump machine, the pump, bottles, cooler bag and ice block into my bag. In the end, my bag was bulging and unable to be zipped up.

So off I went to work along with Superpig and Ashlyn, leaving Averlyn in the care of my mum. At least, she did no cry when she saw me left.

In my absence, Averlyn did cry a little and it was because she was tired. She managed to catch a little nap but was awoken by my phone call home. She had no problem drinking the expressed milk from the milk bottle. She drank 2.5 oz with a little coaxing from my mum. She drank and drifted off to sleep so my mum said it was not too bad afterall. At around 4p.m., she took another 2.5 0z and drifted off to sleep. She woke up not long after when we (Superpig and myself) came home. She woke up and started looking for me, her eyes following wherever I went.

So the day went quite well in Averlyn's area. However, in my owm area it was not too well. I was already having a little flu but by evening, my flu got very bad. So I had to request for a day of MC from Superpig the next day. Yes, stay-at-home-mum also need medical leave...

Thank you Superpig for staying home to work so that I had ample rest.

My projects for this year

Okay, to ensure that I do not forget the many things that I want to embark on doing, I better pen it down here. So if you are eading this, try to ask me once in a while how my projects are coming along...okay?

1) Scrapbook Ashlyn's growth since birth
2) Scrapbook Averlyn's growth since births
3) Scrapbook special events that happened
4) Scrapbook monthly about our lives and activities
5) Continue with my cross-stitching
6) Making of tissue holders
7) Blogging for Ashlyn
8) Blogging for Averlyn
9) Blogging for myself
10) Work (BLAH!)

My digital scrapbooking challenge

Yes... I finally decided to do a challenge and see how I fare. Of course, compared with those advance scrapbookers, there is still a lot of catching up to do. But, if I don't give it a try I would not know how to improve on my scrapbooking projects right?



So here is the project for the sketch challenge.



So how does it look? My own comments? I love it. Thank goodness I have two girls so I can use all the pink and purple that I like. :)

Today's project

Thought I should make a digital scrapbook album for Ashlyn showing her growth since her birth. Then it can go well with her blog.

Here's the first page:

Averlyn's blog

Okay, today I decided to start a blog for Averlyn. In this blog it will be all about Averlyn and her antics. Sad to say, I do not have that much time to create a website for her like I had done for Ashlyn so the next best thing is a blog.

And as for Ashlyn's website, think it is time for me to transfer everything to her own blog too. The website is encountering some problems and due to lack of time, I was not able to create more pages after she turned 3 years old.

I know I am not a superb mother but hey... I am not superwoman too.

The next step... Ashlyn's blog!

Today's project

Yes, I finally managed to find a little time to do this scrapbooking project. Has been itching to do it but got no time.

Earthquakes in Sumatra

Yesterday was the first time in my life that I encounter tremors at my house. I had always heard people around me saying that they had experienced tremors when there were earthquakes in Indonesia and had always wondered what it felt like.

So I felt it twice yesterday at home. The first time was at 1155 a.m. while I picked Averlyn out of her playpen as she wanted to be carried. At that time her playpen was shaking and the glass doors of the display cabinet were shaking too. I thought it was because I was shaking the playpen and hence it knocked against the glass doors. I quickly took a step away and the playpen and glass doors were still shaking. I took a look at the lundry rack and saw that it was also swaying. At that same time, I ws feeling giddy. Fearing that I may faint and drop Averlyn from my arms, I made my way to the sofa. Then it occurred to me that it could be due to an earthquake.

I was in a forum chat and spotted a topic which highlighted that they also felt the tremors. Then I realised that I was right and that was how it felt to be swaying in a high-rise flat, all the way up on sixteenth floor. Sure was giddy.

Considering that Averlyn's playpen was right beside the display cabinet, I decided that I would let her sleep on the sofa beside me. So for the rest of the time, I sat on the sofa working on my laptop with Averlyn beside me.

After two hours or so I felt giddy again. Saw that the sofa I was sitting on seemed to be swaying. Took a look out of the window and realised that the flat was really swaying. Then Averlyn woke up crying. Immediately called Kenny and reported to him about the second tremor. His reply," Aiyah! Not there to experience it. What a waste." .... duh! I am scared out of my wits and that was his reply.

Then after that I have this nagging giddiness that didn't seemed to go away. There was also this nagging fear of another tremor.